Laurence Cole

Laurence is a songwriter and musician living in Port Townsend. He loves to sing and write songs, and is the founding director of Port Townsend Songlines community choir. He also has a massage practice, specializing in acupressure and shiatsu. He has practiced T’ai Chi for over forty years, and enjoys moving slowly, and participating in patient natural processes, particularly the making of compost.

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Grieving is the healing feeling

Honoring and holding well the many ways of grief in a communal way has been a vital part of human cultures for countless centuries. Nothing else so powerfully weaves the bonds of connection and respect among a people who know they need each other to thrive, who recognize that all flourishing is mutual. That mutuality extends not just to the community of humans, but to the more than human world, visible and invisible. When folks are willing to stay the course with each other through the full range and flow of deep, authentic emotion, learning the ways of sacred witnessing, they see each other, they recognize (re-cognise) each other, they fall again in love with each other, and realize they can only go to the heights of joy together to the extent that they are willing to go to the depths of despair and sorrow with each other. In this time together, we will become acquainted with the many gates of grief, not just our own personal grief but that portion of ancestral grief and the pain of the living world that is ours to carry and release with the support of others. It has long been said, “Grieving is the healing feeling.”

This gathering will not be a casual drop in and drop out experience. If you wish to attend, we ask that you arrive before we are scheduled to begin, and stay on through to the natural end. What you carry is sacred cargo and vital medicine. If you feel called, trust and honor the longing from whence that calling springs. It is not just your own.

Songs for Climate Change and Earth Stewardship

Songs and the practice of singing together, are a vital tool for navigating our changing world. Songs help us to build a sense of connection and harmony with each other and the planet. They call forth our collective courage and passion, enliven us and inspire us to play our part in creating a life-sustaining society. Songs help us to plant the seeds of hope and renewal during times of change, re-awakening trust in ourselves and each other. In this workshop, we will explore, through song and story, some of the prevailing themes related to climate change and earth stewardship. Laurence will guide the group through a series of songs that are easy to learn and sing in groups.